Article by
Barbados Today

Published on
March 31, 2015

Minister of Education Ronald Jones is appealing to teachers to put the interests of the nation’s children first.

His appeal comes against the backdrop of a dispute between the Barbados Secondary Teachers Union (BSTU) and the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) over the marking of School Based Assessments (SBAs).

The BSTU has announced that its members will no longer be correcting SBAs after trying in vain for the past nine years to get CXC to discuss paying teachers for performing this task. Instead, the papers will be submitted to principals unmarked for passing on to CXC.

Addressing the monthly meeting of the St Michael South constituency branch of the ruling Democratic Labour Party over the weekend, Jones said: “The School Based Assessment is linked directly to the assessment of the paper the students produce in the school centres or other examination centres and carries a percentage of the marks.

Education Minister Ronald Jones

“I would not say that the teachers’ work is an easy one. No, I was there. I know the frustrations that you feel sometimes when you are trying hard and desperately to ensure that that child is successful because there is a view that if the child did not learn, you did not teach. So you would do anything because you want the parent and the Ministry of Education to say: Mr Jones teaches.”

The Christ Church East Central MP urged teachers to rethink their stand but continue their discussions on the issue of payment for correcting the SBAs with the powers that be.

Questioning the action the BSTU has threatened to take, Jones said: “I am not quarrelling with the teachers. When you put the papers on the principals’ desk, they are not going to stay there because they must be submitted at a particular time.”

He added: “I believe they should be submitted shortly. They must be submitted in early April because the other examinations begin in May and June. Our children must be the ones we place first. Continue your discussions, continue your negotiations, because children look up to teachers, you may not notice it, but they do.”

Stuspe. This entire is a joke. It is only teachers who get treated so bad. That is like the owner of Chefette expecting me to sell chicken , even though I don’t work for them, and then getting vex with me when I say, “Enough is enough. Either pay me, or sell your own chicken!”
People like you want us to do a job for free, for someone we don”t even work for It is ridiculous. I do not expect ANYBODY on this planet to be treated unfairly for the sake of my children, so why do people like you want that for teachers, for the sake of yours???Are your children better than mine? Are YOU better than me??

Stuspe. This entire is a joke. It is only teachers who get treated so bad. That is like the owner of Chefette expecting me to sell chicken , even though I don’t work for them, and then getting vex with me when I say, “Enough is enough. Either pay me, or sell your own chicken!”
People like you want us to do a job for free, for someone we don”t even work for It is ridiculous. I do not expect ANYBODY on this planet to be treated unfairly for the sake of my children, so why do people like you want that for teachers, for the sake of yours???Are your children better than mine? Are YOU better than me??

All jokes aside, She is a whiter than whom we consider white. the original Red Legs were Irish slaves who were shipped to Barbados. Miss Whitey is a Red leg. Whereas we the black slaves were sold in bulk for a few shillings, the Redlegs were sold at 5 pounds per person.

All jokes aside, She is a whiter than whom we consider white. the original Red Legs were Irish slaves who were shipped to Barbados. Miss Whitey is a Red leg. Whereas we the black slaves were sold in bulk for a few shillings, the Redlegs were sold at 5 pounds per person.

The debate is about black children denied a future. Leave politics to the politicians. All I want is for my daughter to be given the same opportunity as Ms. Whitey, the Prime Minister, you, the teachers who refuse to mark her SBA’s and all the other people who are certificated. Whenever the results of this year’s exams are known, you will see on the fhe front page of the Nation Newspaper that students from Harrison College, Queens College and the Community College will be island scholars and exhibitionists. Their SBA’s will be marked in order for them to pass the CAPE exam. The teachers at those institutions who have the children’s interests at heart will grade their SBA’s. They will ignore Ms. Whitey’s stupid request. Keep waiting in vain to see the front page headlined ” No scholarships awarded in 2015 due to lack of cooperation from SBA graders”

The debate is about black children denied a future. Leave politics to the politicians. All I want is for my daughter to be given the same opportunity as Ms. Whitey, the Prime Minister, you, the teachers who refuse to mark her SBA’s and all the other people who are certificated. Whenever the results of this year’s exams are known, you will see on the fhe front page of the Nation Newspaper that students from Harrison College, Queens College and the Community College will be island scholars and exhibitionists. Their SBA’s will be marked in order for them to pass the CAPE exam. The teachers at those institutions who have the children’s interests at heart will grade their SBA’s. They will ignore Ms. Whitey’s stupid request. Keep waiting in vain to see the front page headlined ” No scholarships awarded in 2015 due to lack of cooperation from SBA graders”